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Animagus Registry

Does anybody knew whether J.K.R. ever specified when the mandatory registry of Animagi was established? I want to write something about how that started, but I need a date first! If there is no date, what time period do you think would be appropriate for such an event? After the founding of the Ministry, of course, so after 1700.

Also, in a similar vein, if an Animagus was spotted transforming on various occasions and it became a big deal, do you think the Ministry would attempt a cover-up, or just let the Muggles think it's the old legends again?

Does anybody knew whether J.K.R. ever specified when the mandatory registry of Animagi was established? I want to write something about how that started, but I need a date first! If there is no date, what time period do you think would be appropriate for such an event? After the founding of the Ministry, of course, so after 1700.

Also, in a similar vein, if an Animagus was spotted transforming on various occasions and it became a big deal, do you think the Ministry would attempt a cover-up, or just let the Muggles think it's the old legends again?

Thanks in advance for any who post. =)

J.K.R. never specified when it became mandatory to register animagi, so you are free to invent any date for that occasion. Also, where does it say that the Ministry was founded in 1700? I'm curious.

As for an Animagus seen transforming by Muggles, I don't think the Ministry would be able to do much of a thorough cover-up if it "was a big deal." There would be way too many memories to modify. Therefore, I think a more likely solution would be to have the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee tell the Muggle PM to tell the media to tell the people that it was something like some scientists were experimenting with a weird animal that got loose, or it was a hologram, or some other excuse.

Either that, or the Ministry just does nothing and lets the Muggles be confused.

I was checking the HP-Lexicon timeline to see if there was anything about the registry, and it dated the founding of the MoM at 1700. That's where I got that.
And I thought there wasn't a date for the registry but it's nice to have confirmation.

I don't think the Ministry would be able to do much of a thorough cover-up if it "was a big deal." There would be way too many memories to modify.

I'm actually leaning towards the letting Muggles be confused in that case. There are plenty of stories of fairy sightings, a lot of people would probably just think it was superstitious tales told to frighten one another.
Actually, now that I'm using my head, I don't think I've ever heard of a pooka actually changing in front of a person...just the fact that for some reason they're known to have three forms.

EDIT: I just realized I hadn't mentioned that the Muggles were going to take the Animagi for pookas, which are a sort of shapeshifting faery.

I had the idea that the Animagus thing was something that had slipped through the cracks, and the group that does this stuff convinces the MoM that the Animagus Registry is necessary.

You can always make it that at the beginning, when the Code of Secrecy was implemented (let's give it a couple of decades maybe), not everybody followed immediately and there were still "sightings" of wizards by Muggles. Maybe have an incident with an Animagus of a really grand scale that results in your group trying to convince the MoM that the Registry for Animagi is needed.